Bad news for the Reverend’s housing supremo Paul “Wolfie” Smith as his dream to turn the former Maes Knoll Elderly People’s home at Hengrove into AN OASIS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING is scuppered by Sovereign Housing Association.

We note with interest from Sovereign’s website that they have new 3-bed “AFFORDABLE” homes on the site up for sale for £118,800 “BASED ON PURCHASING A 40% SHARE“. This means Sovereign are valuing a whole home at a less than affordable price of £295k. At least £50k MORE than any 3-bed home in the immediate vicinity!

Also, according to press reports, just 15 homes in this new development are AFFORDABLE, which, if we assume each has the average Bristol household occupancy of 2.3  people, means they will house 35 PEOPLE in need of affordable or social housing. A NET DECLINE IN SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE PROVISION on the site, which used to provide a home for 40 ELDERLY PEOPLE at social rent.

There is, however, a large increase in expensive private housing for profit on what used to be our plot of land.